Industry News

Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has welcomed the Ministerial Statement to the House, given by the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire, in which he updated members on building safety. In particular, he informed those present that following an independent investigation into timber fire doors, no issues had been found with the consistency of the fire-resistance performance of the doors tested. This is good news for the industry and adds fur...

The undergrowth fire on the Lydd Ranges is now fully extinguished after three days of firefighting. On July 26, 2019, the emergency phase of the incident led by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) officially came to a close after all firefighting operations were completed. Duty of care has now been handed back to the land owner. Lee Rose, Assistant Director Channel Tunnel and Resilience at KFRS, said: “On behalf of the service and all other agencies that have been involved throughout the...

Firefighters have issued a summer heat safety plea following several incidents cornfields, grass and crop fires in Kent that have been linked to the hot and dry weather the county is currently experiencing. Countering wildfire incidents Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) deals frequently with rural fires, but during periods of hot and dry weather, incidents on grassland have the potential to become much bigger wildfires. Last year (2018), KFRS responded to almost 700 grassfires, and so far, t...

According to a recent study, just over half (54%) of UK Fire and Rescue Services struggle to record their response times to inbound messages and enquiries across their social media channels. With inbound enquiries from residents and other stakeholders increasing overall and the number of social media accounts being managed by the services also on the rise, tracking KPIs such as response time is key to effectively serving stakeholder needs on social. Social media is a vital channel to communicat...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is working with Kent Police as part of their ongoing mission to increase the use and awareness of Public Access Defibrillators (PADs). Public Access Defibrillators Kent’s emergency services already work together on a daily basis to help save lives and keep communities safe, but KFRS has now also gifted thirty defibrillators to Kent Police to help increase public access to PADs around the county.  We have since teamed with Kent Police and gifted t...

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS), Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) have joined forces to launch FireStoppers – a new way for North East communities to provide anonymous information on deliberate fires. All three Services have been significantly affected by deliberate fires: CDDFRS – 2695 deliberate fires (figures for the year ending December 2018) NFRS – has seen a 21.5% increase to...

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) staff and volunteers are visiting busy shopping areas this week as part of a kitchen safety campaign. Firefighters were called to nearly 300 kitchen fires last year, with at least 91 people being injured. Now, the Service hopes to tackle this by sharing its tongue-in-cheek ‘Recipe for Disaster’, which lists ingredients and instructions for a dangerous blaze. Its aim is to make people think twice about staying safe while cooking, by drawi...

At least 91 people were injured in kitchen fires in our region over the last year, with cooking appliances known to have caused 82 of the incidents. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) is urging people to cook safely with a new campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of ‘the usual suspects’ for causing kitchen fires, including chip pans, distraction and carelessness. 300 kitchen fires recorded in 2018/19 Chip pans continue to be a problem and these types of fire c...

Byker firefighters have been commended by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Chris Lowther for their lifesaving actions on the River Tyne. Crews were dispatched to the quayside at around 5am on Sunday May 5 after receiving reports of a woman threatening to jump from the Tyne Bridge. During their journey to the River Tyne, they received an update confirming that she had jumped into the water. Locating woman using thermal imaging camera When the crews arrived at the pontoo...

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has published its inspection report on Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS). TWFRS was graded as Good in all three areas inspected. HMICFRS looked at how effectively and efficiently the Service prevents and protects the public from, and responds to, fires and other emergencies. It also examined how well they look after the people. In its summary the HMICFRS stated: “Overall, we commend Tyne...

Globally renowned defense, aerospace and security company, BAE Systems announced unveiling its 360 Multi-function Vehicle Protection (MVP) Sensor as part of the company’s integrated vehicle protection system (VPS) suite. The 360 MVP Sensor provides enhanced visibility even in dark and dull light settings, situational awareness, threat warning, and effective counter measures deployment to protect armored vehicles and crews. 360 Multi-function VPS The company, BAE Systems say that their 36...

Sealing plugs by Beele Engineering have been used for years to make pipe transits fire resistant, smoke proof and gas tight. The extended XL version means installation of the plug on one side is all that is required to achieve the desired fire resistance. Beele Engineering recently acquired the MED certificate for its SLIPSIL XL-120 plugs, which means they are CE certified in accordance with the Marine Equipment Directive 2014/90/EU. MED-Certified sealing plugs The Marine Equipment Directive (...